


It stuck

by Erikapell



Category: Riverdale - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-07
Updated: 2017-12-07
Packaged: 2019-02-11 19:14:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12941877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erikapell/pseuds/Erikapell
Summary: He pushed her away and this time she pushed back.





	It stuck

It had been two months since the breakup, two months since he had spoken to her, two months since he had heard her laugh and two weeks since Southside High had Merged with Riverdale High, throwing them both right back into each other’s orbits but still keeping them so desperately apart. 

Jughead Jones was back at Riverdale High back in the place he had grown up, back with Archie and back with clean water fountains and spotless halls, but he was still a Serpent, still wore the heavy leather on his his back and the knife he carried clung to his hip like a constant reminder. It hadn’t been a smooth transition, there had been fights and chaos and divides but it was getting better, getting easier. He saw her everywhere but never really saw her at all, a flash of blonde in the hallways, the sleeve of her pink cardigan as she was pulled into a classroom, even photos of her clad in her blue and gold cheerleading uniform hung on the space above the trophy case. She was there but she wasn’t Really there. not for him. 

It was last period, his free period, left alone to wander the halls, to think, Something he had been doing an awful lot of lately. That’s how he found himself standing in the door of the blue and gold office, his eyes glued to the beautiful blonde journalist who still held his heart in her hands, she was typing furiously when he walked in, her tired eyes flicking up and landing on his. She was still angry, that much was obvious in the coolness of her eyes. 

“Did you need something?” She questioned, a hardness to her voice that he recognized as her defense mechanism. She was hurting and it was because of him. Typical. 

“No.. no I just wanted to check out the old stomping grounds..” he joked weakly, watching as her eyes flicked to his desk 

“You never cleaned out your desk. You can take your things. If you need anything let me know.” There was that Betty cooper hospitality she was famous for. 

He made his way over to the desk directly next to hers, the framed photo of the two of them looking into her cell phone camera pulling funny faces that Betty had given him for their “one month anniversary, and don’t mock it” stared at him so tauntingly it made his stomach twist. Next to the photo was an empty soda can and a slew of papers, blue gel pens and one random pink were scattered amongst the mess. He opened the top drawer to see a broken pair of suspenders and various books that he had been reading at the time. He swallowed thickly, this hurt much more than he had thought, he turned to his right 

“Betts...I..” 

“Minniiii coooopppp” the sing song voice of Reggie Mantle broke through the tiny room, Betty’s eyes instantly ripping from his as the muscled Asian boy glided across the room, taking his place on the corner of Betty’s desk, wiggling a few sheets of paper in her face. Reggie’s Eyes flitted to Jugheads 

“Am I interrupting something?” He looked back to betty his brow quirked.

Betty shook her head abruptly   
“No. No, reg what’s up you finished already?” 

He beamed  
“I liked that article. Steroids in the locker room as seen by a recovering drug dealer? It was awesome to write in that narrative.” He blushed slightly, his hand itching the back of his neck shyly “you know I’m not too great with the words and stuff like that but I think... ya know.. it’s something.” 

Jugheads eyes seemed to zoom in on the way Betty gently placed her hand over Reggie’s

“Your writing is really good Reggie, I don’t know how many times I have to tell you. You’re very talented and I’m gonna be putting your piece on the first page.”

Reggie jumped up   
“Sick, I’ll tell all the guys that it’ll be out tommorow, gotta Run. I’ve got practice, oh and hey you left that super soft blue Sweater thing in my car, I almost put it on instead of my letterman jacket. People might think you’re claiming me Betty Cooper.” He wiggles his eyebrows and Betty rolled hers. 

“It would be an honor.” She teased. 

Reggie bent down and placed a kiss on her cheek, his eyes finding Jugheads 

“Any guy would be lucky to be claimed by you Mini coop.” It felt pointed, aimed directly in jugheads direction. And it was true, so painfully true it made Jugheads throat burn. 

When he left the room Jughead cleared his throat.

“So... Reggie writes for the paper now?” 

Betty placed her fingers back on the keys and continued typing   
“He writes the sports column, he’s actually an amazing columnist . He approached me, said he wanted to write, that his dad writes and he wanted to give it a go. He wants to work for espn. He’s actually up for an internship with me this summer at the register.” 

Jughead swallowed the fire in hisb throat, the bile that threatened to spill at the thought of Betty and Reggie curled together at a desk all summer. 

“And you two...?” He whispered. 

Betty finally stood from her desk, Jughead following 

“He likes me. Doesn’t care what other people say about us, he thinks maybe we could actually work. Me and reggie.. we aren’t anything... yet. He says it’s up to me, said I can make my own decisions in regards of what I want. It’s none of your business Jughead, you wanted it to stick? Well here it is. It’s stuck..” betty shoved him backwards, no real force just sadness “I would have done anything for you, I did do everything for you. But you didn’t care.. you didn’t want to fight because truthfully you didn’t care about this relationship, it was an inconvenience wasn’t it?” 

Her fists were clenched, tears spilling from her eyes absolutely shattering Jugheads heart 

“No! You know that, I love you Betty Cooper.” 

The next words that left her lips were fueled by anger, by disappointment 

“You don’t know what Love is.” 

And then she was gone, leaving Jughead alone to watch as she once again walked away. 

And he was alone. 

Again.

He broke down.


End file.
